House of Coimbatore

In 1982 Fr Augustine Ampattukuzhiyil and Bro Basil went to Coimbatore in Tamilnadu in search of a place; they found a suitable house, bought it and began staying there. Thus the community was inaugurated on 20 August 1982. They opened a book centre right in front of the Cathedral of Coimbatore, on Big Bazar Street, not far from the railway station. Fr M. K. Paul was the first superior of the community, and under his guidance the community and the book centre flourished. It was a house of apostolate, meant also for recruiting vocations from Tamilnadu.

The vocation plan did not function well. The book centre used to conduct very successful diffusison programmes and book exhibitions in the Nilgiris. However, the later superiors did not do well, financial burdens increased, and so the house of Coimbatore was closed in 1991, and the property was sold.

Thoughts

19/12/2018
Those who do not love young people cannot find the means and they neither know how to attract them. Only those who love often think of others, and thinking of others is often the secret of success (ATP 282).

We celebrate the feast of our Founder, Blessed James Alberione. Along with my Team and all in the Provincialate, I join you spiritually to celebrate the event meaningfully. I pray that God our loving Father may shower his choicest blessings on all of us and on all the apostolic activities of our Province through the intercession of our beloved Founder.

Our Province has just celebrated the Chapter on the theme “Do everything for the Gospel”. Alberione employed all his energies to the spread of the Good News in all its forms with all means that were at his disposal. Though physically weak he was moved by the Spirit of God to leap in to the unknown for the sake of the Gospel. May the vision of our heavenly Founder inspire us to greater commitment in our mission. May his determination to do something noble to the men and women of his times challenge us to personal renewal and may his indomitable spirit inspire us to be and to do everything for the Gospel.

Have a wonderful and grace-filled celebration of the feast. Stay blessed always.

Kindly keep our Brothers in Nigeria in your special prayers. May the Good Shepherd be close to them during these days of pain, sorrow and loss.